MOSELEY paid the penalty for ill-discipline as they started the new season with a defeat to Championship new boys Esher at Billesley Common.

Esher opened the scoring with a penalty in the ninth minute from Michael Whitehead.

From the resulting kick-off Esher counter-attacked and wing Samuel Smith scored from halfway withWhitehead adding the conversion to make it ten points in a minute.

The home side’s superiority in the scrum finally bore fruit as the forwards won a number of penalties five yards from the tryline.

Finally, with Esher on a final warning from the refereee, No.8 Chevvy Pennycock picked up from the base and drove over for the score.

However, a disastrous ending to the half saw Moseley concede 11 points in eight minutes while Esher were down to 14 men with flanker Christopher York yellow carded.

They again paid for their ill-discipline as a penalty gave Esher the platform to move the ball wide where Whitehead fed wing Jonathon Hylton who went over in the corner. Two more needless penalties in injury time made the half-time score 5-21.

Bard Davies closed the gap after the interval, dummying his way over from close range. Moseley battered away at the Esher line and David Lyons burrowed over, with Davies adding the extras.

Having done the hard work penalties once again cost the home side as they went offside in front of the posts, which cost three points, before another set up the line-out from which an Esher rolling maul sent David Millard over.